Stress

Chronic stress occurs when a person is repeatedly exposed to distressing circumstances or events, and they feel a constant sense of pressure and overwhelm. Examples of chronic stress are being unhappy in your job, having unclear work expectations, having an overwhelming workload, going through a divorce, battling a chronic illness or facing discrimination and harassment.

Acute stress occurs when a person experiences an intense overwhelming reaction to a distressing event or circumstance, but the feeling is short lived. Examples of acute stress are getting into an argument with a significant other, almost getting into a car accident, receiving criticism from a supervisor or getting a traffic ticket. Stressors that cause chronic or acute stress are unique to each person, and it’s how a person experiences the stressor that causes it to be distressing or not.

When we experience distressing stress, our body’s fight, flight or freeze response is activated; and when our bodies are constantly in this cycle, we can experience “burnout.” Signs a person is experiencing burnout include memory loss, difficulty paying attention, increased drug or alcohol use, sleep changes, loss of productivity, avoidance of difficult tasks and/or social withdrawal.

Check out the Perceived Stress Scale to see how much stress you are experiencing. A score ranging from 1- 40 indicates you may benefit from connecting with a mental health professional.

There are also some great self-care strategies and self-help apps you can use to increase your stress response and resiliency such as:

• Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Use Lavender oil
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Connect with friends
• Take a warm shower
• Practice good sleep hygiene
• Take a 15-20 minute walk in nature
• Practice mindfulness on an app like CALM
• Practice Tapping

Other Resources:

• “How to Manage Trauma” – National Council for Behavioral Health
• “Dealing with Change” – Mental Health America